In the campaign, you play as Sergeant Daniel Recker of Tombstone Squad, a small unit of Marines assigned to the USS Valkyrie. During a routine intel mission, all hell breaks loose, and a chain of events are set into motion that could start World War III. The action is palpable, almost never slows, and set-piece-driven levels create spectacles that you have never seen before in a shooter. Although the campaign is short and sweet, it is easily the best Battlefield campaign so far, in both scope and quality.

Even on current-generation consoles, this game looks great. The sheer amount of on-screen action is astounding for this aging hardware to be capable of producing. Character models are easily the sharpest that they have ever been; the weapons look accurate and clean, and character animations flow through the environment without looking stiff or forced. DICE’s new Frostbite 3 engine shows its quality and diversity even on current-generation technology. Although, I will say I did encounter an occasional framerate drop and a character glitch from time to time. Once, I even saw an enemy fly through the air, and continue to do so, until he was out of sight, and all I could see was the orange marker I placed over his head. But overall, these issues are so few and far between that they don’t detract from the experience as a whole.

The audio of Battlefield 4 brings as much to the table as the visuals. Soldiers screaming or shouting orders, bullets whizzing by your head and snapping behind you, explosions, crumbling buildings, vehicles rolling or flying by, and other ambient noise put together a soundscape that will simply blow your mind. Score only plays a minor role in the multiplayer, but the single-player campaign uses it to an advantage, and the voice acting is surprisingly well done.

Thankfully, the control scheme hasn’t really changed, something any Battlefield veteran will be able to appreciate. Moving, shooting, driving, and flying all feel tight and well rounded, and fumbling over controls is kept to a minimum. I did have a little bit of trouble figuring out the weapon loadouts, but after a little trial and error, and several trips to the new Test Range (where you can test out new weapons, attachments, and vehicles), I figured it out without too much hassle.

In short, Battlefield 4 is an experience that any shooter fan is going to want to have. The developers at DICE have crafted their own brand of mayhem and destruction out of the series that simply defines their gameplay style. So if you like explosions, intense combat, accurate weapons, and the freedom of choice to play how you want to play, then do yourself a favor and go buy this game. I’ll see you online.

ByJoshua Bruce
Video Director
Date: October 29, 2013

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

4.5

GraphicsThe Frostbite 3 engine shows its worth.

4.3

ControlResponsive and adaptive--hallmarks of the Battlefield series.

4.7

Music / Sound FX / Voice ActingVoice acting is excellent in single-player, but nothing beats the sounds of the battlefield coming to life around you as you play a multiplayer match.

4.8

Play ValueThe single-player campaign is a short but solid experience, but multiplayer is endlessly playable.

4.7

Overall Rating - Must BuyNot an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.